


Heartbeat

by Miss_Prince



Category: Gyakuten Saiban (Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney)
Genre: Abandonment, Angst, Gen, Kink Meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-21
Updated: 2009-11-21
Packaged: 2017-10-03 13:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Prince/pseuds/Miss_Prince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young Iris is lonely her first night at Hazakurain. Written for the Kink Meme</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heartbeat

Iris didn't cry when her father and sister drove away without her. Dahlia had told her she had to be brave, and she tried her hardest because Dahlia always knew best. Iris just stood on the steps and watched them go, squeezing Sister Bikini's hand as tightly as she could.

It was easier to forget during the day. Iris followed Sister Bikini through the temple, learning where everything was and getting settled in as best she could. Everything was hazy in her mind, and she could pretend that she was just visiting for a while -- that in a few days Daddy and Dahlia would come back to take her home. She helped Bikini make the dinner, and they ate together in the Main Hall. Soon after, she began to yawn, and the woman guided her to her room and tucked her into bed.

That was when Iris stopped being able to pretend. She pulled the blankets up around her, trying to forget she was in a strange room, in a strange bed, and did her best to fall asleep. But she couldn't. She couldn't fall asleep, and she couldn't forget, because she was alone. She had never been alone before -- because Dahlia had always been there, _always_. They'd slept in the same bed since... since before Iris could even remember, curled up together against the sound of their parents yelling on the other side of the bedroom door, Iris with her head on Dahlia's chest, listening to her sister's heart instead of the angry voices, letting it lull her to sleep.

Iris tossed and turned, exhausted from the long day but unable to rest. Hour after hour crept by, totally silent. She tried pretending that Dahlia had just left the room for a glass of water, and she'd be back any minute; it would be alright to go to sleep. But that didn't help either; she always woke up when Dahlia left the bed, and she'd sit up and wait sleepily until her sister got back.

And it was stupid to pretend anyway. Dahlia... Dahlia wasn't coming back. Iris wasn't going home. _This_ was home now, and the thought made her curl up tighter and shut her eyes tightly, trying so hard not to cry, to be brave...

The door creaked open, and a beam of light from the hallway fell across the bed. Iris sat up, thinking for a fleeting instant that her sister... but it was only Sister Bikini, checking in on her.

Bikini looked concerned. "Iris, are you still awake?"

Iris tried to respond, but she suddenly realized her throat was tight. She nodded helplessly, biting her lip as tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Oh, honey." Bikini crossed the room and sat on the bed, taking the crying child in her arms. "I'm so sorry," she murmured over and over, stroking Iris's hair as she sobbed quietly into her shoulder. When Iris had finally cried herself out, Bikini pulled her carefully into her lap and settled them both back against the pillows. "Try to get some sleep, Iris." Iris laid her head against Bikini's chest, listening to the steady beat of her heart. It wasn't the same... but it was enough. She slowly drifted off to sleep.

And miles away, Dahlia Hawthorne lay awake until dawn, for the first time completely alone in the world.


End file.
